dukas@pmafire.UUCP (Steve Dukas) (06/03/90)
Well I wanted to read it from someone elses posting, as I've heard it
only second hand (4 sources). My we are now humble on this issue now.
Apparently the FDA has traced the danger back to a single producer of
L-tryptophan in Japan. The cause, as alot of rational folks suggested
was from, contamination (or possibly an additive).
I could not really understand how an essential amino acid, consumed even
in "mega-doses", could cause such a drastic result. Now all I'd like to
know is.... When will we see it back on the market?
I will stay away from those "sale special" bottles of L-trypto..
Steve
--
Steve Dukas (208)526-3447/{!(bigtex,uunet)!pmafire!dukas or dukas@pmafire.UUCP}
******************************************************************************
DISCLAIMER: I experimented with myself and I * "Where ever he goes,
=8*} was the "out-of-control" group. * the people all complain"-R.H.shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter S. Shenkin) (06/03/90)
In article <1990Apr26.200027.29242@pmafire.UUCP> dukas@pmafire.UUCP (Steve Dukas) writes: > >Apparently the FDA has traced the danger back to a single producer of >L-tryptophan in Japan. The cause, as alot of rational folks suggested >was from, contamination (or possibly an additive). > >I could not really understand how an essential amino acid, consumed even >in "mega-doses", could cause such a drastic result. The problem with L-tryptophan appears to be a contaminant; nevertheless, mild doses of sodium glutamate, the sodium salt of a naturally occurring amino acid, does really to cause intense headaches and discomfort in some people; so- called "Chinese restaurant syndrome." I don't recall whether glutamic acid is "essential" for humans, in the sense that we don't manufacture it ourselves, and therefore have to consume our requirement, but it is one of the twenty we need in order to assemble our proteins. Just as Dukas couldn't understand how consuming tryptophan could have a deleterious effect, I can't understand how MSG does; but it really does, apparently. -P. ************************f*u*cn*rd*ths*u*cn*gt*a*gd*jb************************** Peter S. Shenkin, Department of Chemistry, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027 (212)854-1418 shenkin@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu(Internet) shenkin@cunixc(Bitnet) ***"In scenic New York... where the third world is only a subway ride away."***
dukas@pmafire.UUCP (Steve Dukas) (06/03/90)
In article <1990Apr27.000315.2282@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter S. Shenkin) writes: >Just as Dukas couldn't understand how consuming tryptophan could have a >deleterious effect, I can't understand how MSG does; but it really does, >apparently. The effects you have described are that of hypertension, c(possibly) caused from sodium. I tend to have a theory that that sodium coupled with an amino acid (MSG) will be much quicker assimilated by the body. Besides, MSG is not a pure amino acid, which should not be compared to one. -- Steve Dukas (208)526-3447/{!(bigtex,uunet)!pmafire!dukas or dukas@pmafire.UUCP} ****************************************************************************** DISCLAIMER: I experimented with myself and I * "Where ever he goes, =8*} was the "out-of-control" group. * the people all complain"-R.H.
shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter S. Shenkin) (06/03/90)
In article <1990Apr27.174702.10390@pmafire.UUCP> dukas@pmafire.UUCP (Steve Dukas) writes: >In article <1990Apr27.000315.2282@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter S. Shenkin) writes: > >>Just as Dukas couldn't understand how consuming tryptophan could have a >>deleterious effect, I can't understand how MSG does; but it really does, >>apparently. > >The effects you have described are that of hypertension, c(possibly) caused >from sodium.... I thought sodium per se had been ruled out. >I tend to have a theory that that sodium coupled with an amino >acid (MSG) will be much quicker assimilated by the body.... If correct, this might explain it. Any physiological evidences? > ... Besides, MSG >is not a pure amino acid, which should not be compared to one. I disagree with you here. Once it gets inside you, the zwitterion will take on exactly the same charge state that it would have had you ingested pure glutamic acid; you are a buffer! (or a bunch of them...) -P. ************************f*u*cn*rd*ths*u*cn*gt*a*gd*jb************************** Peter S. Shenkin, Department of Chemistry, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027 (212)854-1418 shenkin@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu(Internet) shenkin@cunixc(Bitnet) ***"In scenic New York... where the third world is only a subway ride away."***
zador-anthony@CS.YALE.EDU (anthony zador) (06/03/90)
In article <1990Apr27.174702.10390@pmafire.UUCP> dukas@pmafire.UUCP (Steve Dukas) writes: > >The effects you have described are that of hypertension, c(possibly) caused >from sodium. If the deleterious effects of MSG are the result of Na, then why dont we get *really* bad headaches after a bag of potato chips? Tony Zador
dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) (06/03/90)
In article <1990Apr27.174702.10390@pmafire.UUCP> dukas@pmafire.UUCP (Steve Dukas) writes: >>Just as Dukas couldn't understand how consuming tryptophan could have a >>deleterious effect, I can't understand how MSG does; but it really does, >>apparently. > >The effects you have described are that of hypertension, c(possibly) caused >from sodium. I tend to have a theory that that sodium coupled with an amino >acid (MSG) will be much quicker assimilated by the body. Izzat right, Dockor? I'd like to know how Dukas can say such things and expect to be taken seriously. Here are a couple of of facts as opposed to hazy but fanciful impressions. MSG does not cause hypertension. Sodium as a part of the diet does not cause acute hypertension. (Its role in the etiology of chronic hyper- tension is complex and still poorly understood, but there's certainly no simple cause-effect relationship.) It isn't even clear that MSG is the cause of "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome". Controlled studies in people who report the syndrome and who avoid MSG do not experience the syndrome in double-blind experiments. >Besides, MSG >is not a pure amino acid, which should not be compared to one. MSG is the pure sodium salt of a pure amino acid. You can't get much purer than that. Glutamic acid is ionized as glutamate in body fluids, meaning that the only difference between MSG and glutamic acid is that on a weight basis, there's more glutamate in glutamic acid than there is in MSG. -- Steve Dyer dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer dyer@arktouros.mit.edu, dyer@hstbme.mit.edu